What You Need To Know About The Canadian Government’s Registration Program For Canadians Overseas

The Canadian government offers a helpful registration service for Canadians abroad. It’s called the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA) service (I guess they don’t pay government employees to come up with catchy titles).

ROCA can be used in two ways: 1) to inform you of an emergency at home, and 2) to contact you with urgent information and advice in case of an emergency.

Practically, this means that the Canadian government can contact you if there’s a major issue at your destination, such as civil unrest, or an earthquake or other natural disaster.

You’ll need to provide:

your name, date of birth and gender

your passport number

residency information in your destination country

emergency contact information in Canada

contact information when you’re out of Canada

your departure and trip end dates

You must be a Canadian Citizen to register with ROCA. However, the government of Canada also registers Australian, Jamaican and Israeli citizens when they travel in some countries. Click here for details.

The ROCA program is offered by Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada.

*As always, the information on this page is from one Canadian traveller to another. We have spent years abroad and have gotten to know the ins and outs of the industry however we are not travel insurance agents. If you have any travel insurance questions, please talk to a qualified travel insurance agent or broker. Finally, policies and plans can and do change all the time, without warning, so always consult your insurance policy since that is the legal document to which you are agreeing to. *This article is only intended as general advice. Please check your own policy carefully.

A true world traveller, Lanie Kay has been to over 30 countries in the past decade and loves nothing more than waking up in a foreign country. Born and raised in western Canada, she knows the value of a dollar and, just like everyone, wishes there was more transparency when dealing with large companies.

The information and content of this site is intended for general informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not intended as insurance, legal, financial, tax or any other professional advice or services. Insurance policy wordings are subject to change at any time, without prior notice. We are not responsible for errors or consequences from your use of this information.
Read policy details to ensure that a policy is right for you.